In a few days, Price managed to gather around 20 people. All of them has military experience: retired marines, soldiers or rangers. One way or another, they found themselves in Brockton Bay. From the Commander perspective, they were the right people to join. After all, soldiers need a purpose and what a better purpose than to help humanity.
His new title wasn't simple, but he took it like he always did with silent stoicism. Thankfully Kane gives him tools to start. A piece of new equipment from Kane and his magic potion, rewind twenty years in one moment. Whatever Tiberium Infusion was, he wishes to have it in the past, when he worked for SAS.
'Should check kid, he spends too much time in the basement' he pad to the basement direction, which in few days becomes Kanes laboratory and Tiberium garden, as kid love to call it.
In his opinion, Kane was a strange man, not a boy even at 16 years old. Again, from what he found, it is not unusual. Capes age differently. Their life experience makes them older and wiser mentally, sometimes or mad. Considering Kane's experience and loss, they are lucky he didn't decide to throw Tiberium at sea and watch the world be consumed.
He wanted to call PRT again when Kane explained why there are so many shields and filters around crystals.
'Even one crystal could spread like a plague' finally, he reached laboratory doors and knocked on them hard. They both agreed that without a biohazard suit, no one could enter the laboratory. Considering current suits can't protect from Tiberium, Kane needs to create an entirely new set with his power.
Soon enough, Kane opens the door. He was wearing a black leather coat, a roll-neck sweater, black pants and military boots. There was a metal symbol of the Brotherhood on his right side collar—scorpion tail inside a triangle. Kane used special Tiberium infused material to make all their clothes, which gives them extra protection, like bulletproof from small scale guns.
Instead, to talk inside the basement, Price leads them into another room upstairs. So far basement and first floor of the building was used as barracks and command centrum. Another two floors upstairs were used by ordinary people. Everyone who lives in the building worked for the government in the past—Doctors with addiction problems and soldiers discharged when the government cut the budget or teachers who decided it was hopeless to teach children and later watch then join gangs.
Price gave shelter to all of them for a small fee and a promise to behave. It was his way to do something good before he dies from old age. Now, all these people donate their time or efforts to build the Brotherhood of Nod.
The name was strange at first until Kane explained. In the bible, Nod is the land where Cane was exiled after he killed his brother. Like Cane, they were all exiled into Merchant territory to live and be wasted. They are brothers and sisters in misfortune, so the Brotherhood of Nod they should become.
Price was surprised by Kane's answer. A lot of youth didn't pay a lot of mind to the bible. Especially in Brockton Bay, maybe he should get used to Kane's ability to surprise him.
After he and Kane get into a kitchen, Price pooted some leftovers in front of Kane. Besides gaining the title of Commander, he also becomes an unofficial nanny for Kane. The kid would forget to eat or drink while tinkering, which wasn't surprising. His time in PRT taught him few things about Tinkers. They could starve or dihydrate themselves while working a couple of days straight if someone didn't check on them.
While Kane was eating, Price was checking some reports from his new soldiers. For now, they spend time collecting data about Merchants warehouses, which wasn't that hard. Merchants didn't know a thing about subtlety or checking if you have a tale while going back to the base.
So far, they have found five storehouses. The next stage would be to recruit some man from Merchants gang to infiltrate and find out what they have in those storehouses. Before he could assign a group to work on recruitment, Kane interrupted his thinking process.
"We need more space," said Kane while finishing his last slice of pizza. "I already used most of the basement to build a small Tiberium refinery, fabric to made guns and equipment for soldiers and Tiberium infusion cocktails."
"I can't give you more floors of my building. People need to live somewhere," he said while writing the name of the soldiers who would begin recruitment inside the Merchants gang.
"It won't be enough. We need land to start building factories and generators to sustain them. I would suggest buying some property." Kane stood up and walked to the fridge. After looking inside, he closed with a disappointed sigh and instead got himself a glass of water.
"You need to buy more to drink than cheap beer. Try an apple juice at least," Kane said and sat again in front of Price, who was now looking at him with a frown. "Also, where is everyone. That is our command centre, but every time I am here, we are alone. "
"Working. All of them wasted few years doing nothing, and now they are eager to work." Price said and took a cigarette packet from his left pocket.
"Also, I might have a building, but it doesn't mean I have enough money to buy lands for you to tinker, even in Brockton Bay." Price said before putting a cigarette in his mouth. With few clicks from his lighter, he lit it and took a long drag.
"Which is why I give you this." Kane took a small burse from his inside pocket and lay it down on the table than he opened it and showed dollar coins. Roughly Price could tell there could be at least two or three thousand dollars inside the burse.
"Where did you get them?" asked Price and took one of the coins to check it. It filled like a real one. His fingers could trace the serial number and picture of the president on it.
"I made them." Kane's answer turned Price's curiosity into dread. Now he looked at Kane with the same face as he did the first time he found him in a basement with Tiberium.
"Fucking hell, kid, tell me you didn't use them." taking another drag from his cigarette, he stood up and take a bottle of whisky from the closet near the sink.
"No, I didn't. I am sixteen years old, and I can't buy property, so they are useless without you to buy things."
Price sighs. After few seconds, he pours himself a glass of whiskey and drinks a bit of it. Then he said, "We will not use this money, and you will stop producing them at once."
Before Kane could rise, his resistance, Price stopped him with a hard stare. "Kid, that money will be issued into kill order in a matter of days the moment PRT find out about it."
"Why I am not the first guy with fake money, am I?" asked Kane, sounding surprised with all this noise about it.
Taking one last puff, Price put out his cigarette. He wanted to get a new one, but he restrained himself and focused on Kane. Kane was mature for his age, but a sixteen-year-old inside him still doesn't know much about the world he is trying to get in.
"If it was fake money maybe, but you are creating real money with a tinketech. The problem is that your money is not counterfeit. You produced real money." explained Price. He put as much force into his voice as he could.
"I presume you used the same metal as the real coins have?" asked Price and finished his glass of whiskey.
"Yes. I thought it should be real replication, to fool people and accept the money." Kane answered with a bit of uncertainty. He did something wrong, but he wasn't sure how big of a mistake he did make.
"As I said, you made real money, not a good replica but actual money that can fool anyone and threaten countries' economy. PRT have entire branches with thinkers to monitor such things," said Price. One of the coins was still in his hand. He turned the coin in his hand, trying to calm himself.
"Do you think they already send someone after us?" asked Kane. Now there was worry in his voice, which means he truly understands how serious it is.
"If you didn't use them, then not. Thinkers powers tell them most of the time about current unavoidable threats. If you do not intend to use this money or make more, we are currently safe." Price poured another glass of whiskey and gave it to Kane.
Kane took a small sip and wrinkled his face but didn't put the glass away. After a short pause, Price starts talking again.
"To be honest, you might get a kill order when PRT learns about Tiberium or their Thinkers pay attention to your actions or not. There is a lot of rules and grey areas when tinkers tech is involved. "
"I get it, no more fakey slash real money. We still need to expand. I can't build anything serious until I have more space." said Kane and took another sip.
At that, Price started to think. Any good place outside the city would be monitored by PRT or ABB and Empire. So far, no one noticed them because one building wasn't that much of a threat to anyone. Even Merchants could overwhelm them by throwing numbers of goons at them.
'People need to believe we are not a threat as long as possible.' thought Price and stoop up.
"Let's take a walk. We need to visit someone." Price leads Kane to the exit, passing by some soldiers who come back from surveillance operations.
September was almost over. Cold winds of Brockton Bay did their best to freeze anyone who stays too long outside, while the autumn rains were only gaining strength.
"What do you know about the underground mall?" asked Price move across the street. He and Kane sometimes draw attention from a passer-by, but citizens of Brockton Bay lived with strangers all the time. So far, he and Kane weren't famous or infamous amongst capes, which is why people tend to ignore them after a fast glance.
"Nothing, first time hear about it," said Kane and get closer to keep his voice level to avoid eavesdropping.
"Before Leviathan, when this city was prosperous trade hub," begin Price and light cigarette. "Some people decided to build a huge mall on Todside. Massive investment, they thought that dockworkers and sailors would spend their money there, pour money into the urban economy."
"Let me guess. Something goes wrong." Kane was intrigued. Not every day do you learn something new about the city you lived in.
"When Leviathan killed most international trade, investors decided to cut their losses and sold their shares to the city. Before everything stoped, they managed to finish the underground parking." before Kane and Price stood half-finished building.
They could see the old foundation already laid. The walls are outlined with graffiti. A small rubbish dump in the centre and to its right can see the parking garage entrance. Opposite the door, a group of homeless people stood and warmed themselves by the fire.
"In the end, it's become unofficial home for homeless people. Safe harbour from Empire who will beath them if they saw them on their turf. Aznar Bab Boy might sell them into slavery to another country while mayor's office would prefer to keep them here, far away as possible, from Broadwalk and tourists." they headed straight to the entrance.
Price nodded to the three homeless people around the fire. It looks like they knew who he was and let him through without question.
"If you want to help powerless around the city, no better place to start." said Price as they get deeper and deeper into the parking garage.
"Three substantial underground levels for you to expend would be enough, I think, but you need to speak with Benjamin first. He is the unofficial leader of this community."
"Why unofficial?" asked Kane with curiosity. This day turned to be a new exciting discovery after another. Why not learn about another one.
"Because when you steal from PRT, you should stay unofficial as long as possible," said Price when they reached poor made office. It was build from a scrap of metals and old wooden boxes to offer some privacy.
But even now, Kane could feel the eyes of the homeless piercing his back. Surprisingly this was the only discomfort he feels around this place. He expected a foul smell or a pile of rubbish around them, but there was nothing. Without knocking, Price leads him inside the office.
They found a middle-aged man with a beard sitting behind the table. He was around forty or even fifty years old, in Kane's guess. He didn't look at them. Instead, he was working on some mechanism. Looking closely, Kane notices it was an old radio. He recognised it because his mother used to have the same model. She loved to listen to it while she was cooking.
"There is still two months before our usual get wasted new year meeting Price, or you decided to rush up cirrhosis?" said the man and get his eyes up from the old radio.
Now Kane could make a more detailed examination of the man. With a slightly prominent forehead, short black hair begins greying but not entirely yet, blue eyes and plain face. He was handsome in roguish ways. Considering the homeless status, it wasn't surprising.
"Nah, I am an anti-alcohol person, at least for now." said Price stepping aside and leaning against the wall.
"Kane, this is my old colleague, a man whose life is full of bad ideas, and the best engineer I know, Benjamin Clarke," said Price and took a new cigarette. "Ben, this is Kane, who drags me down to a mad quest to save the human race, and this is the craziest part killing Endbringers. Have fun" after that, he left.
"Nice to meet you," said Kane. He wanted to shake a hand, but something tells him Ben wasn't a handshake person. Instead, he made a short nod.
"What a Tinker, need from me. The last one stole my costume idea, so you better be careful," said Clarke and offer Kane to sit down on a nearby chair.
"I need a place to expand and build more plants. If you agree to join us in our quest to save the world, I will share our technological advancements with you and your people as fellow brothers and sisters of Brotherhood of Nod." He didn't say what kind of technology. Until Clarke agree, it would be pointless.
"So, you offer me some tinkertech in exchange for putting me and my people at risk. You can find an exit on your own" Clarke dismissed him and got back to work on his broken radio.
Kane laughed, which brings Clarke attention back at him. After few seconds, Kane stopped and looked at Clarke again. He was still smiling, like Clarke refusal of his proposal wasn't serious.
"Want to share with the class, or your power fired your brain, and now you laughing without reason," asked Clarke with an angry voice.
"It's just the thing you said about putting people at risk," said Kane when he finally gains the ability to breathe normally. "We are living in Brockton Bay, a city ruled by nazi and all shades of crazy people. You are a homeless man who Protectorate wants. In a world that rushes at full steam to destruction. Sorry, but word risk is doesn't matter at this point."
His laughing wasn't entirely honest, maybe a bit. Ever since he got into this world and learned about it, the word risk, in his opinion, stopped being useful. Anyone should understand that, but like usual, people overlook the obvious. Until someone solves the problems with crazy parahumans and Endbringers, they are at risk every second.
"You think some unique lasergun and cool armour can solve it? Kid, this is not a book story. You are not a hero in shining armour and magic sword." at least now Clarke was invested into their dialogue. There was anger in his eyes and, at the same time, tiredness of the man who accepted his lot.
"One piece of armour and lasergun, maybe not, but thousands of laser guns, tanks, planes, mechs with laser cannons and orbital guns will give us a chance. I do not want to be a hero in shining armour. I want to make an army in shining armour with the biggest guns to kill whatever stands between them and peace."
Kane's speech was infectious. It perceived the very soul of Clarke and kindled the fire that raged in his heart a long time ago. Once again, his green eyes glowed like two emeralds.
"Great speech, practised in front of the mirror?" asked Clarke, still looking at Kane, but there wasn't tiredness in them anymore.
"Every Friday, before I go to sleep", joked Kane and chuckled.
"What my people and I will get from it?" finally asked Clarke.
"Protection, better clothes, food, medical care. Everything that Brotherhood of Nod has will be yours to use, and no one will be looking down upon you anymore. " Kane stood up from the stool and offered his hand to Clarke.
"I am going to regret it, but I would like to have some decent warm system before winter strike," said Clarke and shake his hand.
"Price, get your ass here", Clarke shouted after letting off my hand and got back on his stool.
Soon enough, Price joined them. He took another stool and sat nearby.
"Now that we have more territory to exploit, I will start a growing new batch of Tiberium and building propers plants and generators", begin Kane. Already he could imagine a Mobile Construction Vehicle built here in place of Clarke's office. It will become their command centre while Price building continues to be an outpost and production plant for the Tiberium Infusion vaccines.
"First, you will build safety measures and protection for whoever will work with Tiberium," said Price. His voice allows no place for arguments.
"What is Tiberium, and why do you need protection to work with it?"Clarke asked, interested.
"Tiberium is our primary resource and currency. Very poisonous for everyone except for me and quick to spread without proper supervision. Kane explained, "Which is why I need to build protection for people who will harvest it, so I could spend time on making other things."
"I might have something which might help with making a costume against Tiberium," said Clarke in deep thought. "If you provide resources, of course."
"You are a member of the Brotherhood. Whatever you need will be delivered." Kane spread his hand for dramatic effect, which receives a raised eyebrow from Price and a weird look from Clark.
"You get used to it," said Price and patting Clark on the shoulder
"But we need to hurry. In three months, we must be ready," said Kane and become determined.
"What will happen in three months besides the new year?" asked Clarke, leaning forward.
"We will kill Skimdark, Squealer, Mush and take their territory, of course", Kane's answer surprised even Price. They discussed possible actions against Merchants, but there was no timetable before now.
"2011 will begin under Brotherhood of Nod banner." Kane's smile was sharp, with a promise of violence and destruction.
"Great, we have a crazy leader", whispered Clarke and took out a whiskey bottle from a drawer. Price went for glasses without question.
Well, a new chapter and new character joined our merry band. I think you all can guess who is a role model for Benjamin Clarke. So far, I plan to add maybe another two OC's in the future, but it could change. You have noticed that now I am trying to write from 3rd perspective. Some people suggested that I might found it easier to keep the story in order. I think it is, but it also takes a lot of effort to be creative and keep dialogues and descriptions entertaining. We are also getting close to the first battle scene and the end of ACT I. ACT II will be more about consolidating Nod's power around their future territory and building new tech.
Now for reviews
Riniko22-Total forget about coins, so thanks for the ideas. Kane might get another kill order, YEA!
Arsur3215Loki-One Vision, One Purpose!
Guest-Not sure what you wanted to say, but you give me few ideas for future chapters. Be happy. You made the life of some characters in Worm possible living hell.
WormWood-Improving my grammar, or at least I think I am. My private message always opens if you know Beta, who wants to be a part of my writing process.